– Self Esteem and Stress Management

Self Esteem:

Self-esteem is an individual’s perception, opinion and beliefs about themselves. For most individuals, self-esteem is also how they value themselves and can be so deeply rooted that change can be difficult. For most, self-esteem will fluctuate and repetitive process, that changes over time, going from positive self-esteem to negative self-esteem depending on events in their life and experiences they may have had.

An Individuals self-esteem can affect whether they:

  • like and value themselves as a person
  • are able to make decisions and assert themselves
  • recognize their strengths and abilities
  • feel able to try new or difficult things
  • show kindness towards themselves
  • move past mistakes without blaming themselves unfairly
  • take the time one needs for themselves
  • believe that they matter and are good enough
  • believe that they deserve happiness.

What can cause low self-esteem?

The things that affect ones self-esteem differ for everyone. A person’s self-esteem might change suddenly, or they may have had low self-esteem for a while​ – which might make it hard to recognize how they feel and make changes.

Difficult or stressful life experiences can often be a factor, such as:

  • being bullied or abused
  • experiencing prejudice, discrimination or stigma
  • losing a job or difficulty finding employment
  • problems at work or while studying
  • ongoing stress
  • physical health problems
  • mental health problems
  • relationship problems, separation or divorce
  • worries about appearance and body image
  • problems with moneyor housing.

While low self-esteem is not technically considered a mental health illness, often times it is associated with mental health illnesses such as depression, anxiety, trauma and even suicidality. When an individual engages in therapy to address the self-esteem concerns, any mental health concern will also be addressed and the individual will work with their therapist increase their self-esteem and have an overall healthy and positive perception of themselves.

For more information on self- esteem please click the link below:

https://positivepsychology.com/self-esteem/

Stress Management:

Stress management offers a range of strategies to help an individual better deal with stress and difficulty (adversity) in their life. Managing stress can help a person lead a more balanced, healthier life.

Stress is an automatic physical, mental and emotional response to a challenging event. It’s a normal part of everyone’s life. When used positively, stress can lead to growth, action and change. But negative, long-term stress can lessen someones quality of life.

Stress management approaches include:

  • Learning skills such as problem-solving, prioritizing tasks and time management.
  • Enhancing ones ability to cope with adversity. For example, a person may learn how to improve their emotional awareness and reactions, increase their sense of control, find greater meaning and purpose in life, and cultivate gratitude and optimism.
  • Practicing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, yoga, meditation, tai chi, exercise and prayer.
  • Improving their personal relationships.

For more information on stress management, please click the link below:

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-management.htm